Spielman looks to make a deal

INDIANAPOLIS - Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is not backing down from his open invitation for teams to entice him with trade offers for the third overall pick in April's draft.

He declared his position for the second consecutive week, this time in front of the NFL world.

"We're definitely open to moving," Spielman said Thursday from the podium at the NFL scouting combine.

It's clear Spielman is looking to add more early-round picks; he already has up to 10 selections this year when factoring in compensatory picks, which will be revealed in March.

The Vikings have needs at cornerback, wide receiver and left tackle, but the game's best tackles often are found at the top of the draft. Trading back might deprive quarterback Christian Ponder of a cornerstone blind-side protector in Southern California's Matt Kalil, widely projected as the best at his position.

Quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III will drive the trade speculation. One likely would have to fall out of the top two to really heat up the trade talk for the Vikings, though Spielman said he hopes the top left tackle would generate trade buzz, too.

"We could (find) value if, for example, we moved down from the third overall pick," Spielman said. "There's going to be some value, and there's going to be left tackles in this draft that are going to be able to function and be solid starters in this league."

NFL teams can interview up to 60 prospects this week.

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Luck and Griffin will be among the Vikings' top 60, Spielman said.

The Vikings are spending part of the week meeting with representatives of the team's 17 prospective free agents. The team doesn't have a clear-cut priority among the bunch, and Spielman said he will not use the franchise tag.

"I think our core guys that we wanted to get done, we were already able to do that," said Spielman, referring to the signings of Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway and John Sullivan last season.

The Vikings are looking to increase their $10 million-plus salary cap cushion entering free agency, which begins March 13.

Spielman was noncommittal about the status of players on the fringe.

"Do you look at it as, 'Well, maybe he's not playing at the same level anymore,' " Spielman said. "So do you restructure his deal and take him down some? Or do you just outright release that player?' Those are things where hopefully we'll have our finalized plan by the end of next Friday."

Restructuring might not be an option for some players.

"We may just be ready to move on, too," Spielman said. "So it's a wide variety."

Rosemount OL on hand

Former Rosemount offensive lineman Tom Compton hopes his skill set and playing experience offset his lack of exposure at the University of South Dakota.

The first-team Football Championship Subdivision All-American started four seasons for the Coyotes, and he has good size at 6 feet 6, 314 pounds.

"Who knows if (starting four years) would have been an option at a bigger school?" Compton said. "Obviously, you're not playing night games on ABC or anything like that. It's definitely harder getting national exposure. But, at the same time, scouts find you either way."

Among more than 300 combine prospects, Compton and Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd of Cretin-Derham Hall are the only two from Minnesota.

Floyd could be a first-round draft pick after a standout career with the Irish. If Compton has his way, teams will see "that I'm athletic and understand the game well," he said.

"Just being able to demonstrate my knowledge of the game, my size and my athletic ability," Compton said.

BRIEFLY

The Vikings have talked briefly about switching cornerback Antoine Winfield to safety but still feel comfortable with him as their nickel corner....Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, on not allowing assistant Jon Hoke to interview for the Vikings' defensive coordinator position last month: "We don't want to help any of our divisional opponents." ... New York Jets coach Rex Ryan offered a mea culpa for his Super Bowl prediction at last year's combine, calling it a "huge mistake." The Jets missed the playoffs. "In hindsight, I think it put undue pressure upon our team," Ryan said.